Spring-wheel.



F. G. DAWSON. SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1911- ]Patented July 2, 191.8. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I mmmw ms co PHOTO-LI m F. G. DAWSON.

SPRING WHEEL- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1911.

Patented July 2, 19186 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FRANK Gr. DAWSON, 0F SCOTTSVILLE, VIRGINIA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented rlluly 2, i913.

Application filedllctobcr 8,1917. -Serial No. 195,370.

To all whom z'timag concern."

Be it known that I, FRANKG; lD-nwsolv a citizen of the United States, residing at Scottsville, in the county ot Albeniarle and State of Virginia, have invented certainne-w and useful Improvements inSpring-Wheels; and do declare the following to ibca tfull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inithe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

- This invention relates generally to a wheel construction, and more particularly to certainsnew and useful improvements-in spring wheels.

The primary object of the invention to provide a wheel construction with which itis not necssaryzto usethe outer pneumatic or other cushion tires, the wheel being provided with certain internally disposed springs which servc to absorbpractically all of the shocks and JtIISJtO Wlll'CllWllGQlSfEtlG sub ected.

Another obj ect of the invcn tion 'is i to pro ride a wheel having internally disposed cushioning ineans andside plates oi su'tlicient strength i to preclude the possibility i of giving away under stress of end thrust of the vehicle 'axlein turning sharp curves or sudden jolts in that direction. 'llhis'feature overcoinesthe disadvantages found in cushion or spring wheels now known. I

A still turtherobject of theiinvention (is to generally improve upondev-ices of this class by-the provision eta comparatively simple, strong, durable and inexpensive. construction, one which will be etlicientand reli-ablein opcratioi'i, and well EtClilPfiGdlOillllG purpose fonwhich it is designed.

lVith @these' and numerousother obj cots in view the invention consists of. certain novel features of construction, and the. combination and arrangementot parts as will be hereinafter:fnlly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part 'of the applicationand in which similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several. views Figurel is a side elevationof a device, constructed in accordance with this invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the wheeltaken on an enlarged scale, one of the side or cover plates being removed to :"SllOW the internal construction of the wheel, and the bolts for holding the cover plate 'to the body ofthe wheel being shown in section;

lFig. is a sectional "view of the wheel taken substantially on the line &l-2l UIl Fig. 2; I

Fig. t is a silnilarview aken on the line 4+4 of Fig. 2;

Figzbis an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the wheel; and

Fig. 6 isv a perspective view of the hub.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,thenuineral 1. designates a rim which is preferably made of metal and which may serve as thetire of the wheel. Positioned integrally with or otherwise rigidly fastened to the rim 1 and extending inwardly froinuthe inner side of the same is a pluralityiof' spokes 2. 'T-hese spokes 2 are ar ranged in alined pairs, the spokes o'l each pair being ,disposediin spaced parallel relation,-.and the spokes of one pair beinginte grally united with the adjacent spokes of the adjacent pair as clearly shown by Fig. "2. This construction provides a suitable open framework or body having an axial. cross shaped; recess therein. for proper. cooperation with the hub and mounting therefor.

The hub of thewheel is designatedby the reference numeral 3 and is provided with a central opening through which extends an axle or spindle 4., it being understoodthat said opening is constructed to fit. whatever niakeof machine the wheel is intended for. Extendingradially from thehub 8 are arms 5, thesides of which converge slightly from their inner to their outer endsflor a purpose to be hereinafterexplained. The adjacent arms 5are arranged at right angles to each other so that the. hub member is substantially cross shaped'in configuration to adapt it to fitinto the axial-cross shaped recess of the I 7 frame work of the wheel.

The portions 5 of the hub member 53 which .aredisposed between the inner ends Oil the arms 5 are arranged at. angles of about 45 to the adjacent sides of the arms, andthe portionsb by which the inner ends ot-the adjacent spokes of the adjacent pairs are connected are also arranged at angles of about 4l5"to these spokes. The opposite sides of the arms 5 and the portionsb of thehub 3 are recessed as at 6, while the adjacent sides of the spokes Q-and 3 and portions 5 are provided with recesses 7, the latter being arranged opposite the recesses 6.

There'ference numerals 8 designate plates which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured aroundthecorners formed by the ad- :"jacentspokes 2. These plates 8 are suitably shapedso as to fit flat against one of the sides of the spokes and the angularly arranged portions 5 which unite their inner ends. The hub 3 is provided with similarly constructed plates 9, the latter fitting fiat against the sides of the arms 5 and being constructed so as to also fit fiat against the portions 5 of the hub. These plates 9 are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the arms.

Arranged between the arms 5 and the ad jacent spokes 2 are sets of oppositely extending coil springs 10, one of the ends of which extend through openings 11 in the plates 9 and bear against the bottoms of the recesses 6, while'their other ends extend through openings 12 in the plates 8 and bear against the bottoms of the recesses 7. The adjacent sets of coil springs extend at right angles to each other as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Disposed between the adjacent sets of coil springs 10 and between the above mentioned portions 5 of the hub and the portions 5" of the spokes are radiallyextending coil springs 13. These springs 13 have one of their ends extending through openings arranged in the plates 9 and bear against the bottoms of the recesses 6 in the portions 5 of the hub, while their other ends extend through openings arranged in the plates 8 and bear against the bottoms of the recesses 7 arranged in the portions 5 which unite the inner end of the spokes 2. This construction provides a rather simple and eflective 'means for anchoring the ends of the coil springs 10 and 11 to the hub and frame work of the wheel.

Bolted to the sides of the wheel are side or cover plates 14, the latter having central openings therein to permit the axle or spindle to project therethrough. In view of the fact that the arms 5 have their inner and outer sides converging from their inner to their outer end, they will not rub against the side plates 15 a great amount, and hence there is little friction between the cushion mounted hub member and said plates. The plates 15 are of sheet metal of suflicient strength to preclude the possibility of them giving away or bulging under stress of ends thrust of the vehicle axle in turning sharp curves or upon being subjected to sudden jolts in that direction. It is believed that i. this will overcome to a great extent the disadvantages in the forms "of spring wheels now known.

Fromthe foregoing description, taken in conhection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, use and operation of the device will be readily understood without a more extended explanation. It will be seen that a pneumatic or cushion tire is unnecessary as the hub of the wheel is yieldably and resiliently maintained axially in place in the framework of the wheel by means of the coil springs 10 and 13. These coil springs extending in a great many directions will absorb all of the shock and the jar from the hub and consequently the other mechanism of the vehicle with which the wheel is to be used.

It is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this invention, and hence I do not wish to be limited to the construction herein shown and described other than as claimed.

I claim A spring wheel comprising a Wheel body having a cross shaped axial recess therein, the portions of said body at the junction of the adjacent walls of the adjacent radial portions of said recess being disposed angularly to said radial portions of said recess, plates secured to said body and disposed around the corners formed by the adjacent walls of the adjacent radial portions of said recess, said plates fitting flat against the walls of the radial portions of said recess and the above mentioned angularly arranged portions of said body, a hub disposed axially in said recess and having arms extending radially therefrom and disposed in said radial portions of said recess, the portions of said hub disposed between the inner ends of said arms being arranged angularly to the adjacent sides of the latter, additional plates secured to said hub and fitting fiat against the sides of said arms and the angularly arranged portions of said hub disposed between said arms, sets of oppositely extending coil springs disposed be tween the opposite sides of said arms and the adjacent walls of said recess, one of the ends of said springs being secured to the first mentioned plates and their outer ends being secured to the last mentioned plates, and radially extending coil springs disposed between the portions of said hub between said arms and the angular portions of said recess between its radially extending portions, one of the ends of said radially extending springs being secured to the first mentioned plates and their other ends being secured to the last mentioned plates.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK G. DAWSON. Witnesses:

JACKSON BEAL, Joe. R. BLAm.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

" Washington, I). G. 

